Today, many businesses use telemarketing techniques to contact and relay product information to potential clientele. Telemarketing techniques can include contacting potential sales leads, conducting market research, and promoting various products. Known telemarketing techniques include telephone calls from operators in a call center; emails; and text messages. Typically, businesses obtain calling lists from a variety of sources. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict which consumers will be receptive to a telemarketing call. Even if a consumer is interested in being called regarding a particular product or subject, there are few mechanisms available which forward this interest to the appropriate business. Consequently, businesses are often forced to call a large number of consumers in order to eventually find an interested consumer. Thus, many telemarketing calls are unwanted and unsuccessful.
Telemarketing has become unpopular with many consumers, often due to the volume of unwanted calls individuals may receive. Some consumers try to filter the unwanted calls using caller-id services which identify the phone number of a caller before the individual answers the phone. Unfortunately, a caller can have its identity blocked from caller-id services. This forces the consumer to answer a call without knowing if the call is a telemarketing call or a call from a friend, family or acquaintance. Thus, despite known mechanisms, i.e., “do-not call” lists and caller-id, consumers may still receive unwanted calls.